Flue reconditioning apparatus



Jan. 12, 1932. R. c. PRIEST FLUE RECONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

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\mlmmm 50/ I70'C Pf/(SSf BY Mam H MUN ATTORNEY "Jan. 12, 1932. R. c. PRIEST 1,840,331

FLUE RECONDITI ONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLAND C. PRIEST, OF WHITTENBURG, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, OF ONE-FOURTH TO LEXVIS P.

UHREY, ONE-FOURTH TO GUSTA W. 'UHREY, AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN W. SANDER- SON, ALL or WHITTENBURG, TEXAS FLUE nnoonm'rronmo APPARATUS Application filed 'August'l, 1928. Serial No. 296,834.

My invention relates to tools for reconditioning used fines and more particularly to a combination machine for cleaning, cutting and rolling flues, the principal object of this invention being to reclaim used flues for further service by removing the collected scale from their outer surfaces, by cutting off ragged ends providing new squared end faces for the flues, and by rolling these ends into bellshaped form for correct mounting in bollers or the like. 7

A further object is to provide such a machine in a single unit to expedite the several operations necessary for reclaiming a used flue.

A further object of the invention is to provide shifting means for the scaling operation to reverse the travel of the flue through this process, should a single operation fail to satisfactorily clean the flue.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention, illustrating the rolling operation for forming a bell mouth 4 on the end of a flue.

F 1g. 2 1s a similar perspectlve viewpar- 'ticularly illustrating the scaling operation.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the machine.

Fig. t is a cross sectional view on the line 4-4:, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5--5, Fig. 3. Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a supporting frame, preferably constructed of angle irons joined togetherby welding and including lower end members 2, side members 3 and an intermediate channel bar 4 secured to the side mem-' bers. Mounted at each corner of the frame and at substantially central points on the side members 3 are vertical posts 5, upper end members 6 and 7 side members 8, and an intermediate cross bar 9 being fixed to the upper ends'of the posts. The frame conber 7 and end member 8 are shafts 17 and 18 carrying complementary cleaning rollers 19 and 20, driving gears 21 and 22 keyed to the outer ends of the shafts meshing with the spur gear 14. The cleaning rollers are provided with oppositely screw-threaded surfaces 23 and 24: having tapered outer ends for a purpose presently described.

A hearing 25 fixed to the channel bar 4 rotatably supports the stub shaft 26 of a feed mechanism 27 including spaced parallel side plates 28 fixed to the shaft 26 and between which are mounted feed rollers 29. Pivotally attached to the shaft 26 is a lever 30 adapted to be operated over a fulcrum 31 Welded to the bar 4. As indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, a flue is held in engagement with the threaded cleaning rollers by the feed rollers 29, pressure on the lever 30 over the fulcrum 31 increasing the frictional contact between the flue and cleaning rollers. Because of the tapered ends on the cleaning rollers a rotary movement of the feed unit causes a positive contact of the flue with the cleaning rollers and lateral shifting of the lever 30 in one direction causes a greater pressure contact between one of the feed rollers 29 and one of the cleaning rollers and pressing the flue against the tapered portion of said cleaning roller. Since the screw threads on these rollers are cut in opposite directions and the rollers rotate in the same direction, the direction of feeding travel imparted to the flue is thus determined by shifting the lever 30 whereby a greater extent of one roller is engaged with the flue.

Mounted on a threaded reduced end 32 of the main shaft 12 is a cutting disk 33 secured to the shaft by a washer 34 and nut and comprising a part of the cutting mechanism now to be described. An upwardly extending arm 36 fixed toan upper corner of the cutting end of the frame pivotal-1y supports a pair of spaced parallel side plates 37, rotatably supporting between them on bolts 38 a pair of feed rollers 39 comprising bearings for retaining the flue when the flue is pressed against the cutter and being rotated by the flue when the latter is rofated by the cutter. t

A toggle connection for raising and lower ing the feed rollers and supporting plates includes a pair of links 40 pivotally support ing near their upper ends, as by a bolt .41,

the free ends of the side-plates 37.

Secured to the top of the frame oppositely from the arm 36 are upwardly extending ears 42 spaced complementary to the spacing between the links. Supported between the ears on a. pivot pin 43' is a lever 44 also pivotally connected to the lower ends of the links by a bolt 45. A. U-shaped hanger 46 for supporting a flue is attached to the outer side plate 37 by the bolts 38. Extending from the inner wall of the arm 36 is'an ear 47 carrying one end of a shaft 48, the other end of the shaft being supported in a bridge 49 fixed to the frame above and parallel to the cross bar 9. a

Slidably mounted on the shaft 48 is a gauge 50 including a bearing portion 51 pivoted on the shaft and integral with a bar 52 having a depending downwardly extending finger 53 for normally resting on the upper edge of the frame. When one end of a flue is inserted between the cutting disk 33 and feed rollers 39, it abuts against the bar or gauge 52, a stop collar '54 adjustably mounted on the shaft 48 determining the position of the gauge and relative length of the portion cut off the flue. When the cutting operation has been completed, the gauge may be swung on'the shaft out of the Way for other operations.

Extendingabove and parallel to the cross member 7 :are brackets 55 inclining toward each other and provided with vertical portions 56 for pivotally receiving between them the outer-end of a shaft 57 hinged on a'bolt 58. The bridge 49 is provided with upstand ing spaced ears 59 between which is pivotally mounted, on a bolt 60, .a lever 61 having an' integral depending tongue 62 carrying 1 the inner end of the shaft 57. A flue-re- .ceiving roller 63 is rotatably mounted on the eXt-remeend of the shaft 57 and held in place by a nut 64 threaded on the shaft. Fixed tothe'upper edge of the bridge isa socket 65 forreceiving aspring 66 which normal 1y urges thelever and supp'ortedshaftand roller in a raised position to spacethe flue receiving .roller 63 from an aligning formin I roller 67 keyed to the main shaft 12, the shaft being driven through a pulley 68 from any suitable power source.

30 over the fulcrum 31 brings the flue into contact with the cleaning rollers, which are driventhrough the gears 14, '21 and-22. The

screw threads on "the rollers being arranged oppositely to each. other, remove the coating of scale'from the flue, and simultaneously propel the flue through the machine, the di- .rection of propulsion being determined by the roller having the greater amount of contact with the flue due to lateral pressure on the lever 30. 1

After being cleaned the flue is inserted between the cutting diskand its complementary feed rollers until its end abuts against the gauge bar 52, the rollers beingurged downwardly by the toggle links and lever 44. Continued rotation of the cutting disk throughthe pulley 68 and extreme pressure of the feed rollers obtained through the toggle connection of the lever quickly cuts the flue at the desired point. As illlustrated in Fig. 1, the toggle lever, when not in use, rests in an upward inclined position to permitthe use of the U clamp attached to the feed I116Cl anism for the last operation, or the rolling of the; flue ends, the gauge bar being also swung on its bearing to avoid interference with this operation.

To bell. the ends of the fine for reseating in the boiler heads, the flue is inserted in the U-shaped clamp and its end passed in an upwardly inclined position above the roller 67 and over the roller 63. Downward pressure on the lever 61 causes an angular contact between the flue endand forming roller 67 driven through the main shaft 12, and in .turn rotating the flue and its 7 receiving roller through frictional contact. The rolling process is continued until asatisfactory bell-- month has been formed on the fine and it is then ready for further service.

If the flues conditioned as described are to be reused in the same boiler from which they were removed, their original length may be restored by welding sections of the same diameter to the ends thereof before belling.

What I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a drive shaft mounted in the support, cleaning means actuated by the drive shaft for cleaningthe surfaces of lines, cutting means onthe shaft, and rolling and form ing .means operable by the shaft including a forming roller mounted'on theshaft and a flue receiving roller pivotally mounted in alignment with the forming roller:

feed rollers. Downward pressure on the lever 2. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a drive shaft mounted in the support, cleaning means actuated by the drive shaft for cleaning the surfaces of lines, including tapered cleaning rollers having oppositely threaded outer surfaces and pressure means for forcing a flue against the rollers, flue cutting means on the shaft, and means operable by the shaft for rolling and forming the ends of a flue.

' 3. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a drive shaft mounted in the support, cleaning means actuated by the drive shaft for cleaning the surfaces of fines, including tapered cleaning rollers having oppositely threaded outer surfaces and pressure means for forcing a flue against the roll- 1 crs including pressure rollers pivotally mounted in both linear and lateral relation to the cleaning rollers, means on the shaft for cutting fines, and means operable by the shaft for rolling and forming flues.

4;. In apparatus of the class described, a support, a drive shaft mounted in the support, cleaning means actuated by the drive shaft for cleaning the surfaces of fines, cutting means on the shaft, and rolling and forming means operable by the shaft including a forming roller mounted on the shaft, aflue receiving roller shaft and roller pivotally mounted in ali 'nment with the forming roller, and a lever carrying the free end of the roller shaft for exerting pressure on the flue-receiving roller.

5. In combination with a flue conditioning mechanism including a supporting frame. a shaft rotatably mounted on the supporting frame, a cutter on the shaft, a forming roller on the shaft, flue supporting means associated with the cutter and the forming roller, and means for moving the flue into forming relation with the forming roller.

6. In apparatus of the character described including a support, and a shaft mounted on the support, means actuated by said shaft for cleaning the surface of a fine, cutting means on the shaft, forming a roller mounted on said shaft, means on the support associated with the cutting means and said forming roller for retaining the flue, and means for moving the flue into forming relation with the forming roller.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROLAND C. PRIEST, 

